Contents

Early life

Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Anita Williams and Tyrone Howard.[3][4] His great-grandmother, Minnie Gentry, was a stage actress, as were his mother and uncles.[5][6] His parents were both biracial, of African American and Caucasian descent; he experienced racism throughout his childhood. His father was involved in what has been termed the Santa Line Slaying, serving 11 months in prison on manslaughter charges after stabbing another man.[3] At the age of 16, Howard emancipated himself from his parents and was put on welfare; at 18, he moved to New York City to pursue an acting career.[3] He wanted to be a science teacher,[5] though he had a low grade point average in high school and was admitted to the Pratt Institute in New York only after convincing them to give him a special entrance exam.[3] Howard did not complete his education, as he had joined his brother on an audition for The Cosby Show and was cast in the role.[3] Though he did not obtain a degree,[3][7] Howard claims to be an engineer.[8] Howard had a principal role in a short-lived CBS sitcom, Tall Hopes.

Howard has stated that he looks for characters that "teach him about himself" when choosing his film roles.[5] Howard has also worked as a film producer, receiving such a credit for the film Pride. As of 2008, Howard hosts the PBS' series Independent Lens.

In October 2008, Howard made a guest appearance in the short film For All Mankind directed by Daniel L. Clifton, filmed on location in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. In 2009, he starred in the movie Fighting.

Personal life

Howard, who lives outside Philadelphia in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania,[3] was married to Lori McCommas for 14 years.[10] The couple has three children: two daughters (Aubrey and Heaven) and a son (Hunter). Howard and his wife divorced in 2003 and remarried again in 2005, but have since separated. Press reports have since noted that Howard is "trying to reunite" with his wife Annisa, and that he has stated that he is "chasing after" her.[5] His wife was born Jewish but is raising their children as Jehovah's Witnesses.[11] In an interview with NPR, he said he wanted to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses as well.[12]

In February 2009 it was reported on the The Smoking Gun that Howard was arrested in 2001 for a variety of charges related to a violent attack on his estranged wife, including simple assault, terrorist threats, harassment and stalking. According to police reports, he arrived at her house after an argument on the phone, forced entry into her home by breaking in doors, and chased her into the back yard where he punched her twice in the face with a closed fist. The violent attack ended when Howard's brother stopped it. In 2002 he pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace.[13]

These issues came to light after he reportedly downplayed singer Chris Brown's 2009 arrest for attacking his girlfriend Rihanna. When Howard was asked about the allegations of domestic violence against Brown, he told a reporter from Hollywood.tv "It's just life, man. Chris is a great guy. He'll be all right, and Rihanna knows he loves her, you know? They'll be all right."[14]

Music

Although Howard was not a music artist, he performed in several tracks for Hustle and Flow. The song "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp" was written by Three 6 Mafia and produced by DJ Paul. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 78th Academy Awards, and it is also available in a version by Three 6 Mafia. The songs "Hustle And Flow (It Ain't Over)" and "Whoop That Trick", were composed by Al Kapone. All three tracks were performed by Terrence Howard, and they can be heard in the Hustle & Flow Soundtrack. Howard had been working on his first album since March 2007. The album, titled Shine Through It, was released on September 1, 2008.